A Good Country Wife - Chapter 2 - Previous Convictions_1

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

Jiang Feng considered himself just an ordinary delivery guy.Until one day, a young man suddenly appeared, carefully grabbing his hand and saying, “Judge, Judge, I am the King of Hell.”“…” Jiang Feng replied, “King of Hell, King of Hell, I am also the King of Hell.”The King of Hell turned around, tearfully addressing the Black and White Impermanence, “I knew it, he’s been wanting to usurp my position for a long time!”—-“Those people all say that Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, and tell me not to dwell on it anymore. Is it true that after people die, they don’t even have the right to appeal for justice?”“They look at life and death, I only judge right and wrong.”“Who are you?”—”The Judge.”

Year 2056, in a city in the Yuan Jiang Su Jin area. On top of a ruined, shattered six story residential apartment sits a teenager wearing a combat vest, militaristic trousers, and alloyed battle boots. On his back is a hexagonal shield and equipped is a blood-shadow battle knife. He sits there silently on the edge of the roof. At this time, the sparkling sky was shining and there was a refreshing breath within the air that blew towards him. However, there was only silence within the ruined, deserted city, with an occasional howl that makes your heart skip a beat.

Tragedy had reduced James to a nobody. Washed up and homeless in NYC, he thought his life was over.Then a message appeared in his vision:60,000 year countdown has endedNemesis 1 releasedPlease acknowledgeAs the world falls apart, as billions die, as society collapses and all hope seems lost, James discovers a powerful truth: he was wrong to think himself a nobody.With the dawn of the Void, he'll become the most important person to have ever lived.Release Schedule: 5 Chapters a week; Mon-Fri.Dawn of the Void is ONLY published on Royal Road and my Patreon. Please notify me if you find it elsewhere.